Trading by Carl Gawboy

Summary

Carl Gawboy, “Trading,” watercolor on paper, 2025, 18″ x 24″, $2,100

“The last time I looked, Native women didn’t let their husbands do the shopping.”

– Carl Gawboy, 2024

 

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FROM ARTIST CARL GAWBOY: 

This is one of my favorite paintings in the whole series, and if you look closely, you’ll notice something interesting—there are no men in it. That’s probably because Ojibwe women didn’t let their men do their shopping. Yet so many textbooks and curriculum materials show fur trade scenes with men trading with other men. Funny, isn’t it?

In reality, women played a central role in the trade, especially when it came to household goods. And when you consider that the number one trade good was cloth, it makes perfect sense to see women in the center of the action. Look at what they’re wearing—that’s what they made from that traded cloth. In this scene, the woman in red is examining Hudson Bay blankets, carefully deciding which ones to take home.

The women were also very skilled craftspeople. For example, when it came to knives, they carved their own handles—the traded part was only the blade. And in the background of this painting, you can see the hustle and bustle of the trade: people looking through packs, stacks of blankets piled high, nesting kettles ready for sale, and even a little girl playing with a toy cradle board. It’s a small, charming detail, but it shows how the trade affected the entire family, from elders to children.

Another important detail is that all this trading took place outdoors, in bright sunlight. Many historic paintings show trading indoors, almost as if the traders had stopped at a 7-Eleven for a big slurpee, but in reality, it was more like a giant outdoor yard sale. Goods were spread out so everyone could see and choose, and people could move around freely, negotiate, and examine everything up close. This outdoor setting also reflected how much the trade was integrated into everyday life.

By looking closely at scenes like this, we can see that Ojibwe women were powerful, knowledgeable, and essential to the fur trade. They decided what goods to trade, what to buy, and how to use them in their homes. They weren’t just passive participants; they were leaders in their own right, and this painting captures that beautifully. It’s a reminder that when we study history, we have to look beyond the standard images of men trading with men and pay attention to the women who shaped the culture, the economy, and the daily life of their communities.